Episode 95 - Google's Pixel 9 Launch Event

This week on the Solid State Podcast, it’s all-Google all-the-time… thankfully not (as much) in a “how badly are they getting sued this time” kind of way, but instead with a slate of new Pixel phones, earbuds, watches, and all-things-Gemini packaged up in a launch event that in our opinion just feels… “different” in the context of those pesky lawsuits we mentioned…

Pixel itself isn’t new to Google, far from it… and their storied history of smartphone development goes much farther back even to the good ‘ol days of the Nexus program.

But with a looming threat of regulatory action changing the way Google (and tech in general) is able to conduct its business, operating Pixel as some kind of decently well-funded side project because they “have to” just isn’t likely to cut it any more. If Pixel was suddenly a standalone company with its own stock performance to defend, investors to pacify, and competitors to… well… compete with… how would it do? Would we suddenly have the next great battle for smartphone supremacy, or would Pixel fade away Back to the Future style? 

Regardless of the hint of regulation in the air, this was still a gadget event and oh boy did Google deliver on that front! AI is front and center, of course… but the devices themselves have a very interesting story to tell about where Google see’s these products going, and just how they intend to get there. New devices across the lineup, a very strong looking second act in the foldable space, and supporting actor credits to a new smart watch and earbuds all add up to a fall lineup that might be (and should be) hard to ignore…

Now, I’m still trying to figure out how much storage this S24 Ultra has to properly calculate its trade-in value, the irony is I think I’ll have to Google it…